You Are Not Broken: Using “Of Course” to Reclaim Worthiness and Release Shame

By Rev. Rachel Harrison – Recover Your Soul Podcast

One of the most powerful spiritual tools I’ve discovered in my Soul Recovery journey is deceptively simple—but deeply transformational.

It’s the phrase:“Of course.”

When I first started using “of course” in my own healing work, it came through moments of deep reflection—moments when I was looking back on past choices, painful reactions, or ways I showed up that didn’t align with the person I was becoming. And instead of judging myself, something shifted.

I said, “Of course I did that.”

“Of course I felt that way.”

"Of course I reacted—I didn’t know another way yet.”

This gentle phrase became a gateway. A sacred doorway into self-compassion.

What Happens When We Stop Judging Ourselves?

Shame, guilt, and harsh self-talk are among the deepest wounds we carry in recovery—especially for those of us healing from codependency, addiction, people-pleasing, or control. We’re so quick to look back and say, “Why did I stay so long?” or “How could I have been so reactive?”

But the Soul Recovery process asks us to look deeper.

✨ What if, instead of judgment, we offered grace?✨ What if we said, “Of course I did what I did. It was the best I had in that moment.”✨ And from that place… began to heal?

Why “Of Course” Works

This isn’t about excusing harmful behavior or spiritually bypassing the work. It's about creating space—space to look honestly at the past while anchoring ourselves in love and compassion.

When you say “of course” with tenderness, you affirm:

That you were trying to survive
That your choices made sense given what you knew at the time
That healing doesn’t require punishment—it requires presence

In spiritual terms, it’s a tool that brings the fragmented parts of yourself back into wholeness. You’re no longer splintered by self-blame. You’re choosing to remember who you are: worthy, lovable, and enough.

From Inner Critic to Inner Ally

So many of us carry an inner voice that sounds like judgment, like shame, like “not enough.” That voice isn’t your soul. It’s a wound.

And in Soul Recovery, we’re learning to transform that voice into something new.To say,

“Of course I coped the way I did—until I learned something else.”

And then, “Of course I can choose a new way now.”

Healing becomes possible when we stop fighting ourselves.

From Breakdown to Breakthrough

In this episode, I share how “of course” connects to the idea of spiritual resurrection—especially during seasons of transformation, like Easter and spring.We often go through personal crucifixions—moments where it feels like everything is falling apart—before we rise into something greater.

And when we soften into self-compassion, that’s where the resurrection begins.

Try This Soul Recovery Practice:

Take a quiet moment and write down a past action, reaction, or regret that still feels tender.Now, breathe deeply.Place your hand on your heart.And gently say:

“Of course I did that.Of course I felt that way.I was doing the best I could.”

Notice what softens.Notice what shifts.This is Soul Recovery in motion.